In the computer age, hydrocarbon exploration is based on a vast array of information—from the data associated with one or more seismic surveys to the information associated with exploratory boreholes. In terms of information evaluation, one of the more difficult operations is analysis of a seismic data set to determine the subsurface “horizons” of interest. A geologist may spend days or even weeks analyzing a set of seismic data to find the horizons of interest (e.g., the horizons between which hydrocarbons may be trapped). When one considers that multiple seismic surveys of potential hydrocarbon bearing formations may be made before the first borehole is drilled, and that even a single set of data from a seismic exploration can be post-processed to present the data in different ways (e.g., near stack, far stack), the amount of time needed to fully analyze the data can be enormous.
Any process or method that reduces the amount of time used to identify and assign horizons in seismic data would provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace.